Rants on Cycling and on Life:
Photos of people and bicycles that pass in front of my camera

11.16.2005

bike shopsthe personality of a bike shop can be dictated by many thingsthe owner, the location, and of course the employees at the shop

so often a consumer goes into a bike shop looking to make a purchaseinstead of getting what they want they end up getting all sorts of attitudethey leave with their money in their pocket and no product in their hands

this can happen for many reasons...I am not a psychologist.... but I have witnessed this enough times to know that it does happenandit tends to happen for a variety of reasonsreasons I will not attempt to list

it is a shamethis is especially a shame when I send someone to a shop with a strong recommendationthat is way the worstI hate when these people come back to me with a negative reportit is awkward from all endsall these people want is some good advice and a good bicyclethey usually end up leaving without a bike and a poor opinion of the shopthese people may not buy the bike for months or a year after this experiencethus keeping them off the bike... allowing them to miss the glory that is riding a bikea pleasure that should be mandatory in everybody's life at least once a year!

the bicycle shop tends to employ a colorful group of characters with an alternative approach to lifethe employees of the bike shop tend not to be cookie cutter retail shop folkbut rather a variety of different typesusually they fall into a wide range of cycliststhen from there there they can be more colorful than the rainbowwellthis flare and this color often gets in the way of the objective... selling product

too often I watch botched salestoo often I question in my head why a sale is not being closedit is good to give the shopper some space... I know... I hate being suffocated by the staff of a store, be that a bike shop or a book storebut... the employee needs to be able to read their shopperssome people arrive to buy that dayothers are comparision shoppingit is vital to get the impulse shopper to buy then and therewhile it is important to win the comparision shopper over so that they leave with a good experience... a winning experinence over their next shop experience

years ago I worked for Mike Sendar of Big Wheel Bikeshe like many people has his flaws....but, this is also a man with many strengthsbusiness and sales fall within his list of strengthsalthough he can piss off and anger people at his whimMike Sendar also has a strange charisma that wins people overhis ability to remember people always astounded me... not just the person from the previous Sundaybut Sendar can remember someone who bought a bike from him in 1971

in addition to facial recognition Mike Sendar also has some serious sales tacticshis methods can be aggressive, but he has his successespersonally I think his "forced sales" can chase a few people awaybut... the hit miss ratio seems to be in his favorontop of his effort to close the deal that daySendar also understands that with each bicycle purchase there are a list of vital accessories that need to go along with the biketoo often a bike shop sales person will sell the bikebut will not introduce the need to get a helmet, a lock, and some lightssure.... the year of free warranty tune ups will bring the people backbut... the sales of these items is not just good for the registerthe sales of these items is good for the cyclist

if a person is seeking advice on creating a commuter...I would immediately sell them on the idea of fenders, rack, and rechargable headlamp systemthis of course on top of the already obvious helmet, lock, and perhaps gloves and shoes

Bike Nerd Knox Gardner and I have spoke on this topicthe City Paper has written some articles on Mike Sendarand Robin Williams starred in Cadillac ManBig Wheel Bikesin the list of projects I will never do.... a collection of short stories from the various employees of many Big Wheel Bikes locations over the last thirty plus years would most definitely be a great read

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